Zap! Attack
Zap! Attack was a Brunanter synthpop and eurodisco group active in the 1980s. Active from 1981 to 1990, they were best known for songs such as "I Heard It (On The Radio)", "Firefight" and "Cranberry". The group was founded by James Hardy, and featured David van Dijk, Andrea Stanley and the Italian-born Sherri, recording one single in the UK before returning to Brunant and performing in various venues. From 1984 they achieved mainstream success. History Formation and early years The group first recorded and signed with Passion Records in the UK, releasing one single, "I Heard It (On The Radio)" in the fall of 1981. It was not a commercial success and few pressings were made (estimated at 500). In 1983, a copy of the song was brought to the founders of Celebration Records, Gigi Baresi and Jamie Kuiper. Surprised that the group were from Brunant, he acquired the rights to the song and had a remix released in August 1983, which began to receive airplay and sales. The group was contacted and offered a record deal; Baresi was not happy with the remix so he had the group re-record the song, with mixing and instrumentation done from new. The new mix, released in November, quickly eclipsed the original Brunanter remix in sales. The group saw its popularity especially take place in the clubs. Their first single of 1984 was "Toora Loora", a Boney M-inspired cover of "Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral", which failed to chart well. A dance remix was later done, but failed to improve the song's sales. The group's first album, It's Not Black or White was released in July but failed to live up to expectations. Success and later career By early 1986, Hardy and Stanley were a couple, and in 1988 Sherri and van Dijk were also together. The group, which had seen modest sales in Libertas, went on a concert tour there in the summer of 1986. They gave two concerts in Wikistad, and one each in Civitas Libertas, Newport, Victoria and Muntegu. While the largest crowds were in Wikistad, the most famous and well-known of the concerts was at the New Lido in Muntegu; around 400 people packed the over capacity club. The entire performance was recorded, and upon return to Brunant it was edited and released as the Live in Muntegu album (September 1986), which sold well in both Brunant and Libertas. In their tour they previewed several songs, among them "Cranberry", which was released as the first single in September from their forthcoming album, We Are Zap Attack. We Are Zap Attack was released in November that year, and was a marked sales success over their first album. The success of their Live in Muntegu was such that Celebration was forced to make a second pressing of original album five days after finishing the initial run. Eventually, the album was simply reissued in March 1987, with the addition of "Take That!" (from the latest studio album" and an instrumental outtro of "Cranberry". Breakup Hardy and Stanley broke up in May 1989 and it became a difficult ordeal both for them and the group. They divorced in October that year. The group fell apart in the summer. They performed for one last small tour, with shows in Koningstad, Grijzestad and Muntegu (Libertas), where they released the album Live in Muntegu '90; this album aimed to recreate the success of their 1986 concert and album, but was performed at the Olympisch Stadion with around 9000 fans. Reunions The group last reunited in its entirety in April 1997 to perform at Grijzestad's Independence Day festivities. Hardy and van Dijk began to look for support in the mid-2000s for a reunion concert, but Stanley refused to join the group. Sherri, by then married to Libertan Baron Ferdinand Van Loon and in full public retirement, was apprehensive. Eventually, either she or van Dijk (sources differ) proposed a 30th anniversary show at the New Lido in Muntego, since 1996 called the Evropa Klub. Sherri, Hardy and Van Dijk performed sold-out shows on 2, 3 and 4 June, with Stanley being noticeably absent. David van Dijk died in August 2017, and both Sherri Van Loon and James Hardy announced the end to Zap! Attack reunions. Members *Sherri: vocals *James Hardy, vocals and guitar *David van Dijk, drums and synths *Andrea Stanley, backing vocals Discography Singles and EPs I Heard It (On The Radio).png|"I Heard It (On The Radio" (1983) Toora Loora.png|"Toora Loora" (1984) Super '84.png|"Super '84" (1984) Firefight.png|"Firefight" (1985) Cranberry.png|"Cranberry" (single and EP, 1986) Albums It's Not Black or White.png|''It's Not Black or White'' (1984) Dances and Firefights.png|''Dances and Firefights'' (1985) Live in Muntegu.png|''Live in Muntegu'' (1986) We Are Zap! Attack.png|''We Are Zap! Attack'' (1986) Category:Music bands